Why You're So Lonely | Camus' The Stranger

Summary

This video explores the theme of isolation in Albert Camus' novel 'The Stranger', analyzing the protagonist Meursault's indifference and its impact on his relationships and society's judgment. It discusses how Meursault's alienation is a reflection of the universe's indifference, leading to his eventual acceptance of the absurd. The video also delves into how Camus uses Meursault's story to challenge our understanding of morality, social norms, and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.

Takeaways

• 😔 The protagonist Meursault in 'The Stranger' experiences profound alienation and indifference, which sets him apart from society and leads to his doom.
• 📚 The novel explores the feeling of isolation and the search for companionship, highlighting the struggle to connect with others despite efforts.
• 🌐 Meursault's indifference is a reflection of his belief in the lack of objective value in the world, which distances him from societal norms and relationships.
• 🔍 The text dissects how Meursault's actions, such as his response to his mother's death and his relationship with Marie, demonstrate his emotional detachment.
• 👥 The societal judgment and condemnation Meursault faces during his trial are more focused on his character and indifference rather than the act of killing itself.
• 🌀 The novel delves into the human fear of the unknown and the chaos it can cause, as seen in the reactions to Meursault's incomprehensible behavior.
• 🔄 Meursault's alienation is a two-way street; while he is alien to others, they are also alien to him, creating a mutual state of confusion and hostility.
• 🔄 The script suggests that we all have elements of the absurd in our lives, where the search for meaning can lead to feelings of isolation.
• 🔑 The final chapter reveals Meursault's acceptance of the universe's indifference, finding peace and happiness in his own philosophy of absurdism.
• 🌟 'The Stranger' is celebrated as a rich philosophical novel that intertwines existential alienation with the search for meaning and personal identity.

Q & A

What is the main theme explored in 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus?

The main theme explored in 'The Stranger' is the concept of existential isolation and the absurdity of the human condition, where the protagonist, Meursault, experiences alienation and indifference in a universe that is indifferent to human concerns.

How does Meursault's indifference to his mother's death set the tone for his character in 'The Stranger'?

Meursault's indifference to his mother's death is a pivotal moment that sets the tone for his character, highlighting his detachment from societal norms and expectations, and foreshadowing his ultimate alienation from others throughout the novel.

What role does the sun play in Meursault's actions in 'The Stranger'?

In 'The Stranger', the sun plays a significant role in Meursault's actions, particularly during the murder scene, where its blinding light and heat contribute to his confusion and subsequent violent reaction, symbolizing the absurdity and randomness of life.

How does the trial in 'The Stranger' reflect the society's judgment of Meursault?

The trial in 'The Stranger' reflects society's judgment of Meursault by focusing less on the murder itself and more on his character and perceived moral failings, such as his lack of emotion over his mother's death, highlighting his alienation from societal norms.

What does Meursault's relationship with Marie reveal about his indifference?

Meursault's relationship with Marie reveals his indifference in that he enjoys her company and is attracted to her but does not attach any deeper meaning to their relationship, such as love, which he considers meaningless.

How does Camus use the character of Raymond to explore themes of morality and indifference in 'The Stranger'?

Camus uses the character of Raymond to explore themes of morality and indifference by contrasting Meursault's nonchalance towards Raymond's violent tendencies with societal expectations of moral judgment, thereby questioning the nature of right and wrong.

What is the significance of the magistrate's reaction to Meursault's lack of belief in God in 'The Stranger'?

The magistrate's reaction to Meursault's lack of belief in God is significant as it underscores the protagonist's alienation from religious and moral norms, reflecting the broader theme of the absurd and the incompatibility of Meursault's worldview with the society he lives in.

How does Meursault's outlook on life pose a threat to society in the eyes of others in 'The Stranger'?

Meursault's outlook on life is seen as a threat to society because his indifference to conventional values and morality challenges the established order, making him an enigmatic and potentially destabilizing figure in the eyes of others.

What does the title 'The Stranger' signify in the context of the novel?

The title 'The Stranger' signifies the protagonist's status as an outsider and his existential isolation, both from society and from any sense of inherent meaning or purpose in life.

How does Camus explore the concept of the absurd in 'The Stranger'?

Camus explores the concept of the absurd in 'The Stranger' through Meursault's experiences and reactions to the world around him, which highlight the lack of inherent meaning in life and the human struggle to find purpose in an indifferent universe.

What is the turning point for Meursault's understanding of his place in the world in 'The Stranger'?

The turning point for Meursault's understanding of his place in the world comes at the end of the novel when he reconciles with the universe's indifference, finding solace and happiness in his own absurd existence, thus no longer feeling like a stranger.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 Alienation and Indifference

The paragraph introduces the theme of existential alienation and indifference through the lens of Albert Camus' 'The Stranger'. It discusses the protagonist's inability to connect with others and his indifference to societal norms and values. The protagonist's disconnection is highlighted by his lack of emotional response to his mother's death and his casual approach to relationships and violence, reflecting a broader commentary on the human condition and the search for meaning in an absurd world.

05:01

🧐 The Outsider's Perspective

This section delves into the protagonist's status as an outsider, someone who does not conform to societal expectations or values. His indifference is not a result of rebellion but a genuine lack of concern for societal norms. This detachment leads to a sense of alienation, which many can relate to in moments of existential crisis. The paragraph also touches on the absurdity of life, where despite longing for meaning, we often find the universe indifferent to our desires.

10:01

🔍 Confusion and Condemnation

The narrative continues with the protagonist's trial, where the focus is not on the act of killing but on his unusual disposition that sets him apart from others. The prosecutor and society at large are threatened by his indifference, viewing it as a challenge to their moral norms. The paragraph explores how society reacts to those who do not conform, often with fear and hostility, and how this reaction is a reflection of humanity's discomfort with the unknown.

15:01

🤔 The Search for Understanding

Here, the text examines the protagonist's interactions with authority figures who struggle to comprehend his lack of religious belief and moral values. His indifference is met with confusion and anger, leading to his condemnation as an 'Antichrist'. The paragraph illustrates the human fear of the unknown and the tendency to judge and condemn what we cannot understand, highlighting the absurdity of seeking reasons and values in a universe that may not have any.

20:01

🌱 Embracing the Absurd

In the final chapter, the protagonist experiences a philosophical epiphany. Rather than rejecting his indifference, he comes to terms with it, finding peace in the universe's indifference towards him. He realizes that his outlook mirrors the universe's, and this realization brings him a sense of belonging and happiness. The paragraph discusses how one can find comfort in accepting the absurdity of life and the meaninglessness of the universe.

25:02

📚 Literature's Exploration of Isolation

The final paragraph reflects on 'The Stranger' as a profound examination of isolation, not just on a personal or societal level, but at the core of our philosophical understanding. It suggests that Camus' work offers insights into dealing with feelings of loneliness and alienation by embracing absurdism, which can provide comfort in accepting the universe's indifference.

Keywords

💡Alienation

Alienation refers to a feeling of isolation or estrangement from others or from one's society. In the video, it is discussed as a common human experience where individuals feel fundamentally disconnected from others despite attempts to connect. The protagonist of 'The Stranger' embodies this concept, feeling indifferent to societal norms and values, which leads to his alienation.

💡Indifference

Indifference is the quality of not being interested or concerned about something. The protagonist, Meursault, exhibits indifference towards various aspects of life, including his mother's death and societal expectations. His indifference is a central theme of the video, illustrating his disconnection from others and his ultimate acceptance of the universe's indifference.

💡Absurdism

Absurdism is a philosophical notion that emphasizes the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent meaning in life and the indifference of the universe. The video discusses how 'The Stranger' explores absurdism through Meursault's experiences, highlighting the absurdity of human existence when faced with a meaningless universe.

💡Isolation

Isolation is the state of being separated from others or society. The video script uses isolation to describe the protagonist's experience of being an outsider, both in his personal life and in the broader context of the universe. It is a key element in understanding his journey towards finding peace with his alienation.

💡Meaninglessness

Meaninglessness is the concept that life or events have no inherent meaning or purpose. The video discusses how Meursault's indifference stems from his realization of the universe's meaninglessness. This realization is central to the theme of absurdism and his personal journey.

💡Mourning

Mourning is the process of expressing grief or sorrow. In the video, Meursault's lack of mourning for his mother's death is used to illustrate his indifference and detachment from societal norms, which is a significant aspect of his character and his alienation.

💡Trial

A trial is a formal examination of evidence to determine guilt or innocence. In the context of the video, Meursault's trial is not just a legal process but also a metaphorical examination of his character and philosophy. The trial highlights society's judgment and misunderstanding of his indifference.

💡Confusion

Confusion is a state of uncertainty or lack of understanding. The video describes how Meursault's behavior confuses those around him, leading to judgment and condemnation. It also reflects the broader human fear of the unknown and the struggle to comprehend the absurd.

💡Philosophical Outlook

A philosophical outlook refers to an individual's general perspective on life, existence, and values. The video discusses how Meursault's philosophical outlook, characterized by indifference and the recognition of life's meaninglessness, sets him apart and leads to his alienation.

💡Existential Isolation

Existential isolation refers to the experience of being fundamentally alone or disconnected in the universe. The video ties this concept to absurdism and Meursault's journey, suggesting that coming to terms with existential isolation is a way to find peace with the absurd.

💡The Absurd

The Absurd, as discussed in the video, is the experience of the conflict between human desires for meaning and the universe's indifference. It is a central theme in 'The Stranger' and is used to explore the human condition and the search for understanding in a seemingly meaningless world.

Highlights

The protagonist's indifference to societal norms and values sets him apart and leads to his doom.

Meursault's alienation is reflected in his language and matter-of-fact monologues.

Meursault's lack of emotional investment is evident in his relationship with Marie.

Meursault's ambivalence extends to his interactions with the violent character Raymond.

Meursault's inability to feel remorse is indicative of his broader indifference to morality.

Meursault's existential crisis is a reflection of the absurdist view of life.

The novel explores the feeling of alienation and the search for companionship.

Meursault's trial becomes a platform to judge his character rather than his crime.

The prosecutor's focus on Meursault's indifference highlights societal discomfort with non-conformity.

Meursault's lack of remorse and his actions are used to paint him as a moral monster.

The novel challenges the reader to confront their own fear of meaninglessness.

Meursault's alienation is a catalyst for philosophical contemplation on the nature of existence.

The theme of confusion and chaos is central to understanding Meursault's character.

Meursault's confrontation with the prison chaplain marks a turning point in his understanding of the absurd.

Meursault's final acceptance of the universe's indifference leads to a sense of peace.

The novel concludes with Meursault finding happiness in the absurdity of life.

Camus uses Meursault's story to explore the philosophical problem of existential isolation.

The Stranger is presented as an insightful examination of what it means to be alone.

Transcripts

mother died today or maybe yesterday I

can't be sure have you ever got the

sense that you are fundamentally

alienated from other people that despite

all your attempts to connect you cannot

find someone you have a real

companionship with no matter what you do

and no matter how hard you try there is

always some barrier that separates you

from other people you seem to be

different but not in a way that Sparks

Joy or Pride but instead one that just

makes you feel terrifyingly alone I

would wager that many of us have

experienced this isolation in smaller or

greater Doses and nowhere is this

feeling articulated better than an Alber

Chu's Landmark novel The Stranger I've

referenced it before on this channel in

the context of absurdism but today I

want to tackle it from a different angle

I want to look at what the protagonist's

experience of being an outsider can tell

us about our own lives and how we might

slowly learn to make peace with this

creeping feeling of being totally alone

in the universe get ready to learn how

philosophy can make you isolated how

those that don't understand you can

become cruel and heartless and so much

more bear in mind that this is such a

notoriously Rich text that I will only

be able to cover a fraction of its true

depth here and you can check out my

other video on absurdism if you want

some greater historical context but

without further Ado let's look at the

foundational property of our protagonist

the one that both sets him aparts from

everybody else and eventually spells his

Doom one indifference and difference the

first half of the stranger follows our

hero moo as he goes about his daily life

in French Algeria the book opens with

him burying his recently deceased mother

before pivoting to a series of vignettes

where he interacts with Marie his

mistress Raymond a violent criminal and

salamano a very old man with an

incredibly sick dog and the

extraordinary thing about Mero the thing

that alienates him from the rest of

society even at this early stage is his

total indifference to everything that

other people care about this manifests

in every faucet of his life but perhaps

the most prominent way it is displayed

is not in anything moo outright says or

does in the novel but instead in the way

kamu uses language throughout the text

mos in a monologue is remarkably matter

of fact he will describe seemingly

pointless details like the heat of the

sun alongside what most people would

consider far more important matters like

outright threats to his life moo sees

the entire world as if it is through a

gray filter nothing is ever that great

or that bad it is all in different

shades of indifference in other words

everything matters roughly the same

amount to him which is to say not at all

for instance in his romantic

relationship with Marie he finds great

enjoyment in her company and is clearly

incredibly attracted to her in all

respects he seems emotionally invested

in their budding relationship but when

she outright asks him if he loves her he

replies that it doesn't mean anything

either way but he doesn't think so the

particular way kamu puts this is vital

it is not just that moo does not love

Marie it is that he does not value love

itself but this is also not the spiteful

Rebellion against love that we see in

some other stories moo is not kicking

his feet against romance nor is he lying

to project some pseudo stoic image it is

as simple and honest as he says he just

doesn't think it matters this phenomenon

which almost everyone else seems to hold

in high esteem strikes moo as pointless

combined with Moo's remark that his

mother's passing has not really changed

anything this provides a valuable

insight into his character when it comes

to personal relationships a pillar of

what most people think makes their lives

meaningful he is deeply indifferent and

his ambivalence does not stop there we

have already mentioned raymont the

unsavory character moo becomes friends

with near the beginning of the novel

raymont tells moo to write a note in

order to lure one of his old girlfriends

back to his flat for the express purpose

of berting humiliating and possibly

beating her surprisingly for the

supposed hero of our story moo agrees

but it is not with conspiratorial Glee

but again with calm indifference he

condemns a woman to violence with a

shrug of his shoulders he does not mind

where the Raymond attacks this woman or

not the whole moral matter strikes him

as a triviality the fact that Raymond is

violent and cruel does not concern him

he certainly doesn't see it as a

positive but he doesn't see it as a

negative either this gels rather well

with something Maro says later in the

novel about being unable to feel remorse

again it is not that he is deliberately

immoral or malicious he's certainly not

outright cruel but morality is just

another thing he doesn't particularly

value to him it is as strange as some

people would view my habit of collecting

hardback books or one of my good friends

obsession with Lego this is the first

Brick in the Wall between himself and

others moo may not call himself a

philosopher but he has seen the lack of

objective value in the world and this

has seeped deep into his psyche he thus

holds the world and everyone else in it

at a distance in effect he has very

little in common with almost everyone

around him they are still in mesed in

their social roles their sets of values

and their ideas of right and wrong he

just can't bring himself to care about

any of this this does not make him

particularly sad or particularly happy

but it does cut him off from relating to

and forging bonds with other people and

it sets him apart from the whole rest of

his Society it is what makes him a

stranger to everyone and while we might

not fully relate to so's position of

valuing basically nothing many of us

will be familiar with this sudden

feeling of alienation of seeing yourself

in the third person or the world

suddenly striking us as completely

mundane we might be sitting in a coffee

shop or at work or chatting with friends

when in an instant we become painfully

aware of the sheer pointlessness of it

all our life ceases to feel like a

hero's journey and instead becomes a

hamster wheel at that moment it feels

like we're observing ourselves from afar

and whatever we're doing starts to feel

bizarre why am I doing this we ask and

we cannot find a satisfactory answer the

people around us transform from warm

familiar faces we can relate to to

unconvincing masks placed at top

mysterious unknown thoughts we become

acutely aware of the brevity of Our

Lives the meaninglessness of our daily

existence and our ultimate Solitude in a

universe that does not care about us and

could not even if it tried and we look

around at everyone else wondering if

they are thinking the same thing in Kam

terminology we have caught a glimpse of

the Absurd the fact that despite our

longing there is no meaning out in the

universe for many of us the sighting

will be brief and we will eventually

fall back into the unconscious habits of

our everyday lives but what makes Mero

so remarkable is that he does not do

this having come to realize that

everything is pointless he nonetheless

continues to live but this personal

philosophy marks him out as different

and isolated and alone and if there is

one thing that people don't take kindly

to it is this sort of difference if you

want to help me make more videos like

this then please consider subscribing to

my Channel or my patreon the links are

in the description two judgment and

condemnation the second half of cmu's

novel is dominated by Moo's trial

essentially Raymond developed a rivalry

with another man the brother of the

woman that he was so cruel to at the

beginning of the book Raymond and Mero

go on a beach Excursion and while they

are out they encounter this man and some

friends and they become involved in a

physical altercation that wounds raymont

then when he is strolling along the

beach later that day moo bumps into

Raymond's rival again who draws a knife

dazzling moo with the reflection of the

Sun in the confusion moo shoots the man

dead and fires four more shots into his

body for good measure unsurprisingly moo

is put on trial for this but very little

focus is given to the events of the

crime the prosecutor seems unconcerned

with whether Moo's victim actually meant

him harm and whether this was a killing

in self-defense or an aggress crime

instead he focuses on Moo's General

disposition the things that set him

apart from other people this begins with

an examination of how moo felt about his

mother's passing the prosecutor

questions why he was so unbothered by

her death he points to his nonchalance

at his mother's funeral how he offered

someone a cigarette and accepted coffee

how he did not cry and didn't want to

look upon his mother's body essentially

the prosecutor reveals just how

unusually Mero behaved and how out of

Step this was with the proper way of

doing things the assembled crowd seee in

their hatred for Mero because they are

convinced he is a callous and uncaring

son and in a sense they're right he

flies in the face of their moral Norms

he is strange to them this Hammer home

Moo's sense of alienation and he even

describes wanting to cry for the first

time in years this points to the fact

that moo despite all of his General

indifference still yearns to be

understood by other people put a pin in

that because it will become an important

point after this his relationship with

Marie is called into question how could

this man so soon after his mother's

death begin an affair with this young

lady where was his sense of decorum

where was his mourning for that matter

what was he doing striking up a

friendship with raymont how could he

justify writing a letter that would

deliver a young woman to a beating why

did he get involved in Raymond's

disputes with these other men former so

the answer to these questions is obvious

it is because he did not mind either way

and so went along with whatever struck

him as easiest or most interesting in

the moment his General non-committal

attitude to life made him very easily

swayed by external circumstances and as

we said in the last section his

indifference allowed him to remain

Untouched by his mother's death enjoy

his time with Marie without becoming at

all attached and Aid Raymond in his

dastardly schemes all while staying in

the same calm Bland mental state while

other people perceive him as a kind of

malicious monster able to kill without a

second thought and eating the world he

ultimately just lives an existence so

alien to the people of French alers that

What mattered to them simply struck him

as pointless they may condemn him and

they may kill him but are they justified

in judging him by standards that strike

him as completely absurd moo doesn't

even seem to understand why they're

interested in his behavior at all at the

end of the trial the prosecutor

describes Moo's philosophical Outlook as

an abyss threatening to swallow up

society and I I think this is a really

important point the jurors and the

assembled public are less concerned with

what moo has done and more threatened by

his Outlook this is not entirely

irrational of them we all might have

good reason to fear someone who does not

care about their fellow man or morality

but at the same time I think there is

something deeper going on moo by his

very existence is posing them a question

they simply don't want to confront what

if we truly do live in a world devoid of

meaning waiting to devour us at the

point of death what if indifference is

the sole sensible position and we only

continue to care about anything because

of our inability to look facts in the

face once again moo is alienated by his

philosophy because of what it

unwittingly forces on other people and

as Jean Paul satra points out in his

famous essay on the stranger the reader

is not exempt from this analysis

although many will relate to Moo's sense

of alienation from the world and perhaps

even sympathize with his devaluation of

social norms not not many people are

going to find his complete apathy

towards the fact that he has killed a

man particularly Charming nor his

willingness to Aid Raymond in his plot

to violently harm a young woman in

presenting us with someone so at odds

with our own worldview kamu is asking us

a question as well can we truly cope

with an absurd man someone who does not

discriminate between different

experiences and who thinks that any life

is as good as any other who is able to

look at the emptiness of existence

without flinching and lives their life

accordingly or do we just see a dire

threat to our way of life in some ways

the reaction of the crowd and the reader

to Moo is the same reaction many of us

have towards this concept of

meaninglessness many of us find the idea

that nothing matters repugnant and since

moo is this concept personified we find

him slightly disgusting as well but kamu

forces us to ask why this is and he

questions whether our judgment truly

comes from a place of philosophical and

moral concern and consistency or whether

it simply stems from our own fear and

maybe some of us can relate to Moo's

plight maybe we have Properties or hold

certain positions that are out of step

with the moral system we happen to live

in perhaps we are an atheist in a deeply

religious community or a maligned

religious sect if so we may be used to

the idea that we are a threat to the

moral order and should be dispensed with

forth withth I've said this before but

one of the great strengths of kamu

writings is that he is able to show us

people who are truly Beyond good and

evil and challenge us to react to them

in an honest and authentic fashion how

do we respond when the Absurd is thrust

in our face and how should we respond

but the hatred Mero receives at the

hands of his jury is partly due to a

near Universal human phenomenon and one

we might have good reason to be scared

of three confusion and Chaos perhaps one

of the deepest human fears is the fear

of the unknown even our Terror at the

concept of death is partly because we

don't know know what happens to us

afterwards hence why the notion of an

afterlife can bring some people great

peace in their final days humanity is

adept at conquering those aspects of the

world we cannot yet make sense of this

is something religion science philosophy

art and more all have in common they are

often trying to make something we

currently find incomprehensible that bit

more understandable either by crafting

empirical theories or mathematical

models or by communicating a message in

a particular way and kamu novel

illustrates just how disturbing it can

be when we are confronted with something

we just cannot get our heads around as I

said before throughout all the

interrogations and trials the people

examining Mero show very little interest

in his actual crime they seem untroubled

by the mere fact that he has killed a

man and possibly done so In Cold Blood

instead they are constantly searching

for a way to make sense of him to slot

him neatly into their worldview they

cannot understand his Outlook and the

Mystery of this is what terrifies them

most of all first there is the

magistrate who talks to when he has

brought him for questioning he is

fascinated by the fact moo does not

believe in God but even more so that he

treats the whole proposition with total

indifference the magistrate just cannot

understand why someone could not be at

all concerned with the matters of the

Divine talking about it in the same tone

of voice as you might wonder what you

were going to have for breakfast even an

atheist might recognize that the

question of God's existence is an

important one but moo is different he is

just unbothered this incomprehensibility

is further when moo is asked why he left

a gap between his first shot and his

later shots this is a perfectly sensible

question to ask it may hints that moo

truly did want the man dead whether or

not he was initially acting in

self-defense you can imagine the kind of

answers the magistrate might expect moo

might have claimed that the man was

getting up to attack him or that he

wasn't sure that he had been neutralized

as a threat but moo just seems genuinely

perplexed by the question answering only

that he doesn't know the shots are an

insoluble mystery even to the man who

was wielding the gun the Magistrate's

confusion at muro's Behavior causes him

to treat Mero with a mixture of anger

and disgust he says he has never known

someone to be so unaffected by the image

of Christ's suffering or to be so eerily

calm about this whole event he might be

able to deal with criminals both

rebellious and repentant but this

bizarre attachment was too foreign too

alien to him he eventually decides to

call moo mure Antichrist A fitting name

that denotes the Magistrate's opinion of

him a Monster not quite of this world

yet deceptively in human form this theme

of confusion leading to condemnation and

judgment becomes even more pointed

during Moo's trial where his silence and

indifference make him appear strange to

the jury and the craft again no one

seems interested in the fact that moo

has actually killed a man they do not

dwell on the suffering of the victim or

how it has affected his family they

essentially do not care about the crime

at all but only the unique questions moo

poses they want to make sense of of him

to find out what makes him tick they

want to conquer this little slice of the

unknown that terrifies them so much of

course the largely indifferent Moo Can

Only explain his actions in ways that

are totally unsatisfactory in response

to the question of why he shot his

victim he says it was because of the Sun

and he is being perfectly honest here

the sun blinded him making him confused

and he only ever moved towards the man

because he felt the sun's heat on his

back and was trying to escape it maso's

movements were not ated by a reasoned

will but rather by these vague

animalistic impulses but of course the

jury only laughs off this answer they

want to know what reasons and values LED

Mero to committing this crime and he

simply has no answer a large part of why

the prosecutor deems Mero this grave

philosophical threat to society and why

he eventually asks for the death penalty

is because of this intense confusion

everybody feels towards him he is an

unknown element something so strange he

is difficult to look at they do not know

what he will do next or what he values

or what motivates his actions they

cannot change him and they cannot make

sense of him so they consign him to the

Flames sentencing him to the guillotine

and this confusion is shared by Maro

just like the jury cannot make sense of

his indifference he can't understand why

they behave in certain ways he does not

get why he should have been more upset

by his mother's death nor why his

behavior with Marie is deemed

inappropriate their morals are as

strange to him as his lack of morals are

to to us this shared bewilderment opens

an unbridgeable Chasm between Mero and

the rest of mankind and it eventually

breaks out into hostility hence he is

sentenced to death first it is worth

noting that maro's strangeness is just

an extreme form of the way we are all

somewhat alien to one another sure we

may in fact share values experiences and

memories with others but there is always

the barrier of people's skulls

preventing us from fully knowing what's

going on in their mind the paranoia the

have about muro's psychology is a

heightened version of an unease we can

all feel when we recognize how much of

other people's minds are forever bar off

to us our best friend could secretly

hate us our partner could be cheating on

us and anyone at any moment could embark

on a course of action that we would find

totally confusing and incomprehensible

all because of this unbridgeable gap

between our Consciousness and the

consciousness of everyone around us we

are all strangers just not to the same

extent moo refuses to make himself even

a little bit understandable to others

and it throws people into a violent

frenzy they hate him far more than he

ever hated the man he killed it is a

stark reminder of how vicious humans can

be when they encounter the unknown and

since we are all to a certain extent

unknown to one another this leaves a

bitter taste in our mouths how would

people react we might think if they knew

what I was really like the desperate

search for a theory to explain Moo's

Behavior also serves as an analogy for

how we encounter the absurd we want the

universe to be understandable like a

rational human agent we want it to have

Concepts like good and evil and to be

interested in us in some way but it does

not and is not and many of us find this

idea unbearable we might be able to cope

with a universe that hated us but one

that does not know we exist and cannot

understand us is so terrifyingly Bland

that it can throw us into a crisis in

classic fashion kamu manages to comment

both on our interpersonal alienation and

our existential isolation in a single

literary Master stroke it is no wonder

that this has gone down as one of the

richest philosophical novels in history

but finally I want to explore how moo

learns to deal with this alienation how

he transforms the world from something

he is simply indifferent to into his

dear friend without abandoning his

philosophical principle that nothing

really matters four the comfort of the

Absurd for many people the idea that the

universe is indifferent to us can seem

distressing masso's attitude of total

apathy towards the world can come across

as incredibly Bleak and sometimes the

line between absurdism and nihilism

seems very thin but in the final chapter

of the book where moo is awaiting his

execution we see him undergo a

philosophical breakthrough in a lot of

other stories not written by kamu this

would be where maso learns the error of

his ways rejecting his prior

indifference and deciding that morality

love and family are truly worth

something but but of course this book is

written by kamu and so moo does remain

indifferent and alienated but at the

same time manages to make peace with

this fact his Revelation is sparked by a

conversation with the prison chaplain

just like everybody else he finds Moo's

Outlook strange and absurd the chaplain

refuses to accept that moo is different

and that he truly does not see the value

in the prospect of higher meaning or an

afterlife or anything else for that

matter eventually Mero becomes enraged

by the priest's refusal to even try to

see his point of view and throws him out

of the cell there is no one who seems to

understand moo no matter how hard he

tries to get his point across it is

simply beyond their limits to see him as

anything other than a weird anomaly a

human defect a philosophical Abomination

he shouts at the priest that he means

exactly what he says that nothing

matters and he does not see why he

should care about any of it moo seems

relieved by this outburst and when he

settles back into to bed he realizes

that there is something similar to him

and that is the universe itself his

Outlook is simply a reflection of the

world's indifference and as long as this

Remains the case he is not truly alone

he may be a stranger to everyone else

but to the cosmos he is perhaps the most

sensible person on the planet in that

moment he no longer feels like he is

kicking against hostile and vengeful

crowds but instead sees them for what

they are future corpses shouting at

nothing amounting to nothing signifying

nothing in his own words I opened myself

to the gentle indifference of the world

finding it so much like myself so like a

brother really I felt I had been happy

and that I was happy again as is often

the case with kamu this passage

communicates two thoughts simultaneously

the first is that moo has now fully

accepted the meaninglessness of the

universe he is no longer troubled by the

Absurd in the slightest and has moved

past it finding happiness in

indifference rather than just

indifference but for the first time in

the novel he has also ceased to be a

stranger for the rest of the book Maro

is constantly in contrast with people

that are fundamentally opposed to his

worldview Marie wants him to notice the

value in her love Raymond wants him to

be alive to his anger and the courts

want him to recognize that he should

have mourned his mother everywhere he

has turned marau has found opposition

and condemnation he has been made

strange but it is in these final moments

awaiting his execution that he finally

discovered was a friend he may be alien

to everyone else but he is at peace with

himself and with the world as it appears

to him just as absurdism is coming to

terms with the universe's

meaninglessness rather than attempting

to inject meaning into it m so

transcends the need to have others

accept him or even understand him he has

embraced his position as an outsider and

has found satisfaction in it at the

philosophical level he is able to live

with meaninglessness and at the everyday

level he has made sense of his position

as isolated alone and resented the only

thing he wishes is for there to be a

large crowd of braying hating people at

his execution and this is emblematic of

a theme that will only become more

prominent in kamu later works like the

rebel and the fall the problem of

existential meaning and how to move past

the Absurd is inexorably tied up with

our own everyday problems of Cruelty

violence political struggle isolation

social unrest and morality it is all

considered part of one enormous thorny

problem in the stranger Camu ties

together the issues of being alone

isolated and judged and the problem of

an indifferent universe and paints a

form of absurdism as the answer both to

the larger philosophical concern but

also to the very real and concrete issue

of when we feel unbearably alone

paradoxically just as we can imagine

Copus happy in his pointless task the

universe itself becomes Moo's companion

its indifference becomes not crushing

but comforting and we move through the

problem of our incomprehensible

isolation rather than running from it or

rejecting it and this for me is what

makes the stranger one of the most

exciting and insightful examinations of

what it means to be alone in all

literature it paints isolation not just

as a problem of the person or of society

or of psychology but one that cuts at

the deepest level of our fundamental

philosophy and I hope this video has

encouraged you to give it a read but if

you want more more on the way kamu

meshes absurdism with more everyday

problems then click here to see how he

approaches the topic of guilt and shame

from the standpoint of the Absurd it's

also perhaps one of the most terrifying

books I've ever read so there's that and

stick around for more on thinking to

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